Electroluminescent thiophene derivatives

ABSTRACT

LED compounds of the general structure: (B-S-)n-A-(- S-B)m (Structure 1); wherein the rod-like molecular nucleus A having the structure: —Ar(-T-Ar)p- (Structure 2); wherein T includes a diradical.

This invention relates to electroluminescent materials.

It is known that some reactive mesogens (liquid crystalline materials capable of being chemically crosslinked into a polymer matrix) of the general formula:

B-S-A-S-B

where A represents a linear aromatic molecular core, S represents flexible spacer units and B represents crosslinking groups such as methacrylate groups, may be useful in the fabrication of organic electronic devices. This is particularly the case if B represents photocrosslinkable groups, since then the materials function essentially as photoresists, which is to say, thin layers of these materials may be patterned into useful electronic structures by patterned exposure to light, particularly UV light.

Further, if the a linear aromatic core A is luminescent in nature, these reactive mesogens materials may be patterned into the active light emitting layers in electroluminescent devices such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDS) and organic diode lasers.

An important aspect in the development of reactive mesogen materials for display applications is that red, green, and blue emitting materials all need to be developed so as to allow the fabrication of full-colour dot-matrix displays that consist of pixels that in turn consist of triads of red, green, and blue electronically addressable elements. Materials of the formula B-S-A-S-B in which the molecular core is completely carbocyclic in nature emit light in the violet to blue portion of the visible spectrum because of the comparatively low polarisability of the carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon bonds in these materials. To produce materials with longer wavelength light emission it is necessary to introduce more polarisable auxochromic functional units into the backbone of the linear molecular core. Thiophene rings have been found particularly useful for this purpose since thiophene itself is a highly stable material because of its high degree of aromaticity and also since the sulphur atom imparts substantially higher electrical polarisability.

Adding a single thiophene diradical into the molecular backbone, e.g.

(where the two Ar substituents represent the remainder of the molecular core) shifts the luminescence wavelength in the red direction, but not sufficiently to convert a blue emitter to a green one. In a prior art invention it was found that adding two pairs of thiophene rings to the molecular backbone, e.g.

does shift blue luminescent emission into the green.

A problem with this approach is that there is free rotation about the single bonds between the thiophene rings causing the emitter molecule to be less rigid and rod-like. This destabilises the liquid crystalline phase of the materials. Also, this same rotational freedom tends to favour the formation of glassy rather than crystalline solid phases. Glassy materials are much more difficult to ultrapurify for electronic applications than are materials with crystalline solid phases.

A prior art attempt at solving this problem was to fuse two thiophene rings together to form the thieno[3,2-b]thiophene ring structure.

If two of these units are included in the molecular backbone:

the stability of the liquid crystalline phase and the crystallinity of the solid phase are enhanced. Furthermore, because single bonds have been eliminated from the molecular backbone, the luminescent efficiency of the materials is enhanced. Another advantage of this approach is that there is the potential for even greater emission wavelength red shifts by fusing even more thiophene rings onto the thieno[3,2-b]thiophene ring structure yielding, for example:

However, when these materials were first made in the literature it was found that the two examples shown above both decompose on heating. This casts serious doubt on the stability of thienothiophene-based materials in electronic applications.

The invention comprises OLED compounds of the general structure:

(B-S-)_(n)-A-(-S-B)_(n)   Structure 1

wherein the rod-like molecular nucleus A comprises the structure:

—Ar(-T-Ar)_(p)-   Structure 2

wherein T may be chosen from the following diradicals:

wherein the substituent

may be independently selected for each occurrence of this structure from one of the following spiro or bicyclospiro groups:

In these spirobicyclo and spiro substituents R is an alkyl group and may be chosen from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, isopropyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, 2-amyl, 3-amyl, 2-methyl-2-butyl, 3-methyl-3-amyl, 3-ethyl-3-amyl, or neo-pentyl and R₁ independently in each occurrence may comprise branched, straight chain, or cyclic alkyl groups with 3 to 12 carbon atoms, which are unsubstituted, or mono- or poly-substituted by F, Cl, Br, I, or CN or wherein one or more nonadjacent CH₂ groups are replaced by —O—, —S—, NH—, —NR—, —SiRR—, —CO—,—COO—, —OCO—, —OCO—O—, —S—CO—, —CO—S—, —CH═CH—, such that O and S atoms are not directly linked to other O or S atoms. Hydrogen atoms in structures 56 through 82 may be independently substituted by fluorine atoms. Ar in each occurrence in structure 2 may comprise and aromatic diradical, a heteroaromatic diradical, a single bond, or more than one of the above concatenated together in a substantially straight chain. In order to lower the melting point, to increase the liquid crystal phase stability, and to improve the solvent solubility of the inventive materials it is preferred that at least one Ar be chosen from the following diradicals:

wherein X in each occurrence may be chosen from —CH— or —N—, and wherein the substituent

may be independently selected for each occurrence of this structure from one of structures 56 through 82 with R and R₁ having the same meanings as above.

It is most preferred that

is selected from structures 56 through 78. Ar may also comprise one of a 1,4-phenylene, a biphenyl-4,4′-diyl, a terphen-4,4″-diyl, a naphthalene-1,4-diyl, a thiophene-2,5-diyl, a pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, a perylene-3,10-diyl, a pyrene-2,7-diyl, a 2,2′-dithiophen-5,5′-diyl, an oxazole-2,5-diyl, a thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2,5-diyl, a dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]thiophene-2,6-diyl, a thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole-2,5-diyl, an oxazolo[5,4-d]oxazole-2,5-diyl, a thiazolo[5,4-d]oxazole-2,5-diyl, a thiazolo[4,5-d]thiazole-2,5-diyl, an oxazolo[4,5-d]oxazole-2,5-diyl, a thiazolo[4,5-d]oxazole-2,5-diyl, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazol-4,7-diyl, or an imidazo[4,5-d]imidazole-2,5-diyl diradical, or a single bond. Ar and T units of the molecular core A may be concatenated together in a substantially linear fashion.

S in structure 1 may represent a flexible spacer comprising a chain of single bonded atoms. The chain may comprise an alkyl chain. The alkyl chain may contain one or more hetero atoms.

B may represent a crosslinking chemical group, which may be a methacrylate group, a 1,4-pentadien-3-yl group, an ethacrylate group, a vinyloxy group, an alkylvinyloxy group, an ethylmaleato group, an ethylfumarato group, an N-maleimido group, a vinylmaleato group, a vinylfumarato group, or a N-(2-vinyloxymaleimido) group.

In structure 2 the value of p is from 1 to 5. In structure one the values of n and m are independently selected from 1 to 3 and the substantially linear nature of the molecule is maintained.

When, in the condensed aromatic ring systems T, the thiophene rings are fused with one or more adjacent benzene rings, the presence of the benzene rings increases the chemical stability of these condensed ring systems at the same time that the two or more thiophene rings that are required to properly red shift the wavelength of the luminescent light output are present.

Example structures of these materials of the invention are: 

1. OLED compounds of the general structure: (B-S-)_(n)-A-(-S-B)_(m)   Structure 1 wherein the rod-like molecular nucleus A comprises the structure: —Ar(-T-Ar)_(p)-   Structure 2 wherein T comprises a diradical.
 2. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein T comprises any one of structures 3 to
 45. 3. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein T comprises structure
 55. 4. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein T comprises any one of structures 46 to 54, where the substituent

is a spiro or bicyclospiro group.
 5. Compounds according to claim 4, wherein the spiro or bicyclospiro group comprises any one of structures 56 to
 82. 6. Compounds according to claim 5, wherein in the spiro and bicyclospiro substituents R is an alkyl group.
 7. Compounds according to claim 6, wherein the alkyl group is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, isopropyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, 2-amyl, 3-amyl, 2-methyl-2-butyl, 3-methyl-3-amyl, 3-ethyl-3-amyl, or neo-pentyl.
 8. Compounds according to claim 6, wherein R₁ independently in each occurrence comprises a branched, straight chain, or cyclic alkyl group with 3 to 12 carbon atoms, which are unsubstituted, or mono- or poly-substituted by F, Cl, Br, I, or CN.
 9. Compounds according to claim 6, wherein one or more nonadjacent CH₂ groups are replaced by —O—, —S—, —NH—, —NR—, —SiRR—, —CO—, —COO—, —OCO—, —OCO—O—, —S—CO—, —CO—S—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C— such that O and S atoms are not directly linked to other O or S atoms.
 10. Compounds according to claim 4, wherein at least one hydrogen atom in the spiro or bicyclospiro groups is substituted by a fluorine atom.
 11. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein Ar in each occurrence in structure 2 comprises an aromatic diradical, a heteroaromatic diradical, a single bond, or more than one of the above concatenated together in a substantially straight chain.
 12. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein at least one Ar is selected from structures 83 to
 93. 13. Compounds according to claim 12, wherein X in each occurrence is chosen from —CH— or —N—.
 14. Compounds according to claim 12, wherein the substituent

is independently selected for each occurrence of this structure from one of structures 56 through
 82. 15. Compounds according to claim 14, wherein

is selected from structures 56 through
 78. 16. Compounds according to claim 14, wherein Ar comprises one of a 1,4-phenylene, a biphenyl-4,4′-diyl, a terphen-4,4″-diyl, a naphthalene-1,4-diyl, a thiophene-2,5-diyl, a pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, a perylene-3,10-diyl, a pyrene-2,7-diyl, a 2,2′-dithiophen-5,5′-diyl, an oxazole-2,5-diyl, a thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2,5-diyl, a dithieno[3,2-b :2′,3′-d]thiophene-2,6-diyl, a thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole-2,5 -diyl, an oxazolo[5,4-d]oxazole-2,5 -diyl, a thiazolo[5,4-d]oxazole-2,5 -diyl, a thiazolo[4,5 -d]thiazole-2,5-diyl, an oxazolo[4,5-d]oxazole-2,5-diyl, a thiazolo[4,5-d]oxazole-2,5-diyl, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazol-4,7-diyl, or an imidazo[4,5-d]imidazole-2,5-diyl diradical, or a single bond.
 17. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein Ar and T units of the molecular core A are concatenated together in a substantially linear fashion.
 18. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein S in structure 1 represents a flexible spacer comprising a chain of single bonded atoms.
 19. Compounds according to claim 18, in which the chain comprises an alkyl chain.
 20. Compounds according to claim 19, wherein the alkyl chain contains one or more hetero atoms.
 21. Compounds according to claim 1, in which B represents a crosslinking chemical group.
 22. Compounds according to claim 21, wherein the crosslinking chemical group comprises a methacrylate group, a 1,4-pentadien-3-yl group, an ethacrylate group, a vinyloxy group, an alkylvinyloxy group, an ethylmaleato group, an ethylfumarato group, an N-maleimido group, a vinylmaleato group, a vinylfumarato group, or a N-(2-vinyloxymaleimido) group.
 23. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein in structure 2 the value of p is from 1 to
 5. 24. Compounds according to claim 1, wherein in structure 1 the values of n and m are independently selected from 1 to 3 and the substantially linear nature of the molecule is maintained. 25.-28. (canceled) 